Good MLS fans remember the name Omar Salgado. He, of course, is the big striker chosen first overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by Vancouver.

Fair to say that Darlington Nagbe and Perry Kitchen, picked second and third that draft day in Baltimore, have done more so far in MLS to this point. A lot more in Kitchen’s case for D.C. United. But Salgado, still only 19, was always a “project pick.” We always knew he needed to grow into his professional shoes.

Still, 19-year-olds can and have made hey in MLS. Even younger men, too.

So as Salgado’s moves into the meat of his third season as a professional, it would be nice to see the young man make more of a contribution at BC Place. Injuries have played a role in his lesser imprint to this point. But one goal in 21 appearances is scant return on a No. 1 draft pick, and the figure looks more worrisome with each passing week.

Salgado wouldn’t even be mentioned today but for a training ground incident. All of this is to say, when we hear from Salgado next, it needs to be a big goal for Martin Rennie’s Whitecaps, not for this bit of needlessness (courtesy of a report in today’s Vancouver Sun):

Winger Omar Salgado, whose lingering foot problems have kept him from getting any first-team minutes this season, was tossed out of practice Monday after he objected to a hard tackle from Koffie by shoving the midfielder.”